Press release issued 7/ 2/ 19
Senator releases new report showing more than 867,000 King County residents, 3 million Washingtonians under the age of 65 live with a pre-existing health condition; Lawsuit by state attorneys general threatens to undermine Pacific Northwest health care system, critical health coverage for millions of Americans
SEATTLE – One week before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals hears oral arguments in a lawsuit that could eliminate the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA), U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene (WA-01), health care providers, and local patient advocates to defend the ACA and the millions of Washingtonians with pre-existing conditions protected under the law.
“The moment is here for all of us to stand up and advocate for health care and make sure that this law is not struck down and that the United States Congress is allowed to continue to fight for great access to health care policy,” Cantwell said at today’s event.
More than three million Washingtonians under the age of 65 live with a pre-existing health condition, which can include common conditions ranging from allergies, asthma, and high blood pressure to cancer and diabetes. More than 385,000 of those with pre-existing conditions are children under the age of 18.
The Affordable Care Act outlawed insurance company discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, meaning that insurance companies cannot deny coverage to people or charge them more because they have a pre-existing condition. However, in December 2018, a U.S. District Court Judge in Texas declared the entire ACA unconstitutional.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration’s Department of Justice announced it would no longer defend the Affordable Care Act in court and filed a brief with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asking the court to invalidate the entirety of the law.
“Next week, as oral arguments start in this case, we must make sure that we’re doing all that we can to articulate and to get the Senate to act to defend the Affordable Care Act so that we can show the great economic impact to our region if the health care law is not continued,” Senator Cantwell said today.
This attempt to nullify the ACA could have devastating effects in Washington and throughout the country. Three million Washingtonians, and nearly 130 million Americans nationwide, have pre-existing medical conditions and could be charged more or locked out of coverage if the law is struck down – even if they get health insurance through their employers.
Invalidating the ACA could also kick 50,000 Washingtonians under the age of 26 off their parents’ health care plans, allow insurance companies to charge women more than men, allow for an “age tax” on people over 50, and put millions more at risk of facing coverage lock-out periods, exclusions, or other forms of insurance discrimination.
“These are the faces of Washingtonians who will be impacted if the health care law is struck down in a court cast that is now going to be heard starting next week,” Cantwell said about the patient advocates in the room.
At the event, Senator Cantwell also released a report on the threats to health care coverage for the millions of Washingtonians under the age of 65, including more than 867,000 in King County alone, living with a pre-existing health care condition.
Inslee discusses how to help more students find a pathway to well-paying, high-demand careers
From the Governor's medium page posted 7. 2. 19Darrell Wilson said he took an unorthodox approach to getting his education.
After earning his associate degree from Pierce College, he spent the next three-plus years earning his own tuition money so that he wouldn’t have to take out student loans. Then, he earned a certificate and took two internships (one with the Pierce County Health Department, the other with the City of Puyallup) around his career choice: Geographic Information System Mapping Technology. He did all of this before even starting his undergraduate program at the University of Washington.
“I wanted to build my resume from the ground up because some people struggle to get a job in their field after they graduate because they don’t have real-world experience,” Wilson said. “Doing those internships beforehand helped me keep ahead of the competition. It’s a competitive world and I wanted to be ahead of everything.”
Soon, he’ll graduate from the University of Washington with a GIS degree. And he’ll enter the professional workforce already having a strong network in his field because of his hands-on internship and certificate work.
Wilson shared his story with with Gov. Jay Inslee, state leaders and Washingtonians on Tuesday as they discussed how the state is helping more students find a pathway to a good-paying job or career. The meeting focused on college, STEM programs and degrees, and career-connected learning programs such as apprenticeships.
A highly-skilled workforce is one reason cited by many employers for locating in Washington state and Inslee said these kinds of efforts ensure Washington remains a top choice for businesses. State leaders project there will be 740,000 job openings by 2021, many of which require a post-secondary credential whether that is a degree, a certificate or a credential.
Inslee said the state has made significant progress over several years to increase the number of Washingtonians who are positioned to find high-demand, high-wage jobs.
The 2019 legislative session brought forth the Workforce Education Investment Act. The act includes two pieces of governor-priority legislation that will impact thousands of Washington students.
One piece of legislation focuses on college affordability. It will provide meaningful financial aid for 110,000 students each year to take apprenticeships and attend two- and four-year public colleges and universities.
“We’re hoping the new financial aid program will help ease the financial burden for many students,” Inslee said. “And it’s people like Darrell, who stopped his education for years to earn tuition money, who could benefit from this program.”
The other piece of legislation is a focus on career-connected learning. It gives students more chances to get real-life work experience during their schooling.
“The passage of that act was one of the most important achievements of the recent session,” Inslee said. “We have one of the most progressive financial aid systems in the country now. And it reflects a key part about why we’re ranked as the number one state to live and work.”
Career Connect Washington is designed to meet the governor’s goal of connecting 100,000 students to career-connected opportunities and our other efforts to create multiple pathways to good-paying careers. This comes from a Washington STEM action plan of 70 percent of students achieving a postsecondary credential.
The legislature recently secured $25 million in operating and more than $11 million in capital and transportation funding for Career Connect Washington and supported initiatives. Career Connect Washington hosts a variety of work-based programs that include classroom learning and career-specific instruction. This helps students get early exposure to careers and the different pathways one career holds.
During the Inslee administration, policy makers have worked on the following items that increase living-wage job opportunities:
Paid family and medical leave
Non-compete legislation that protects workers
Free tuition for low-income students through Washington College Grant
A fair minimum wage
Guaranteed sick leave
Updating overtime rules
Long-term care program
Fair chance for employment with ‘ban the box’ measures
Limited college tuition increases
Governors STEM Innovation Alliance
Career-connected learning with real-world work experience through Career Connect Washington
Expanded pathway options for high school graduation
Job quality tax incentives on clean energy projects
Future of Work Taskforce that prepares Washington’s economy for technological change
Guaranteed Education Tuition program that gives people the ability to buy tuition early
College savings plans (called “Dream Ahead”) to save for education
Washington State Opportunity Scholarship expansion to professional technical programs and apprenticeships
Expanded high demand STEM enrollments
State financial aid eligibility for “Dreamers”
Student loan refinancing
Working connections child care for low-income students in professional technical programs
The number of students who earned STEM degrees has also increased during the past few years. Inslee said it’s important to emphasize STEM opportunities because a large amount of upcoming high-wage jobs require STEM knowledge and skills. Yet more qualified applicants apply to the public four-year college and universities than the institutions have room for in these programs.
Whether it’s a STEM degree, an ironworker apprenticeship or an early childhood education certificate, there’s a payoff for students who seek out a variety of educational opportunities after high school: Education pays. That’s according to Cody Eccles, associate director at the Council of Presidents, who also spoke at Tuesday’s meeting. Earnings have increased for all students who finish college. And students who complete a professional-technical program earn the highest, according to the Washington State Board Community and Technical Colleges.
Currently, the job areas with the highest workforce needs are education, computer science and mathematics, business and finance, and health care.
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WORLD NEWS HEADLINES
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Remarks by President Trump, Chairman Kim Jong Un, and President Moon in Greeting at the Korean Demilitarized Zone---White House press releaseRemarks by President Trump and President Moon in Greeting with U.S. and Republic of Korea Service Members---White House press release
Libya detention centre attack could amount to a war crime says UN, as Guterres calls for independent investigation
A missile attack on a detention centre in Tripoli that killed scores of migrants and refugees “deserves more than condemnation”, UN agencies said on Wednesday, as both the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the head of the UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL), insisted that it may amount to a war crime.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/07/1041792
Restrictions, unmet promises, unbridled violence in Sudan, a ‘recipe for disaster’, says Bachelet
After nationwide protests across Sudan on Sunday, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday called on Sudanese authorities to lift restrictions on the internet and launch independent investigations into all acts of violence against demonstrators, and allegations of excessive force, including attacks on hospitals.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/07/1041802
UN cultural agency removes birthplace of Jesus from its list of heritage sites in danger
The United Nations’ cultural agency announced on Tuesday that it was removing the place that is officially recognized as the Birthplace of Jesus, from its List of World Heritage in Danger – crediting extensive restorative work on Bethlehem’s Nativity Church, in Palestine.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/07/1041742
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NEWS FLASH!
No deaths reported in the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Southern California---LA TIMES
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IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION
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PAGE 2
Cantwell, Merkley, Murray, Wyden Announce Passage of Bill to Improve Safety and Sanitation at Columbia River Tribal Fishing Sites
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Reps. Kilmer, King, Murphy, Hurd Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Assess & Address Rising Threat of Deepfakes
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Murray, Cantwell Request Federal Engagement in New Sea-Tac International Arrivals Facility.
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Treasury Targets Cuban Support for the Illegitimate Venezuelan Regime
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NASA Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Historic Moon Landing with Live TV Broadcast, Events.
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Presidential Message on the 243rd Anniversary of the Adoption of the Declaration of Independence
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Inslee statement on decision to drop citizenship question from census
News story Commentary: Does the oath of office mean anything to the Dems?
